Basically, I'm Gay
by evelinaonline
Summary: There was no way to prepare for what was to happen after coming out to his teammates, but Cole could have never predicted this.


**The prompt for this was "Coming Out" for Ninjago Pride Week 2019, a challenge I'm hosting on tumblr!**

**This takes place all the way back in S1, a few days after Cole's True Potential episode.**

**Personally, this is my favourite prompt that I've prepared, so I hope you enjoy!**

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"There's something I haven't told you."

All eyes drifted towards Cole's direction, and he froze.

For some reason, Cole had decided that he should come out at dinner, the very same day he unlocked his true potential. As if the endless questions about his childhood and his dad weren't enough.

What was one more secret, right? Right.

_Better get it out of the way now that everyone's interested in my past than never_, he had thought.

"Are you pulling a Wu on us, Cole?" Jay asked jokingly, putting some salad on his plate.

"I am standing right here, my students," Sensei Wu said as he made his tea.

"He's right though, you're very mystic," Nya said. "_There's something I haven't told you_ is like, _your _phrase."

Kai chuckled at that. "Famous last words-"

"Don't say that," Zane scolded him, and Sensei shook his head, joining them at the table. "Is there something the matter, Cole?"

"It's just… I've shared so many things about myself today, so what's one more detail going to do, right?"

Cole averted his gaze to his plate, away from the puzzled looks of his friends. He sounded like a complete moron, and he knew it. This was stupid.

"So…?" Jay snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Imgay," he mumbled, avoiding to look at the others.

"What was that?" Nya asked, and he couldn't believe he'd have to say it again.

"I said, I'm gay?" Cole cleared his throat. "So, um, yeah. That's it. Basically."

The silence that followed next was screaming at Cole's ears. He had never regretted anything more in his life. He could feel everyone's looks on him, piercing through his body, judging him, shutting him out-

Seeing as no one was planning on doing so, Sensei cleared his throat to get Cole's attention. "Cole, there is nothing to be-"

"Me too."

Cole jumped at the sudden interruption, turning to the source of the sound. Kai was waving at him in a playful matter.

Cole must have misheard.

"I mean, I'm not _gay _gay," Kai corrected himself, "but I'm not straight either. I'm bi."

"You too?!"

Cole turned to his right, only to see a very excited Jay. His smile could bright up the room.

"Eyyy, I knew I wasn't the only one!" Kai said, high-fiving Jay.

"I'm pan," Nya popped in. "Just saying it, since it seems appropriate. I think. Surprise?"

"I do believe I would not identify as straight either," Zane — freaking _Zane _— spoke up next. "I do not particularly care for genders. I don't think I even care for my own either."

"Oh, would you prefer other pronouns?" Jay was quick to say. "We can change to they/them if that's more fitting for you."

Zane shrugged. "I don't mind, honestly. I don't mind male pronouns, but gender neutral ones don't sound bad either."

"What about she/her?" Kai asked.

"It doesn't matter to me."

"Gotcha! So like, you're nonbinary but don't care for pronouns, that's cool!"

Cole found himself going back and forth the table, too startled to keep track of the conversation. Was it even a conversation anymore? It felt like an information dump, and Cole didn't know what to take from it.

He placed his fork down.

He was getting dizzy.

"Gosh, thanks for speaking up, Cole," Jay said, patting his shoulder. "I wanted to bring this up for so long, and I did not know how, you know?"

"Wait, wait, wait," Cole found his voice again. "So there isn't a single straight person on this table?"

"What about Sensei?" Nya asked, poking Sensei's hat with her fork. "What are _you _hiding from us, old man?"

"I do believe there is something I haven't told you…"

Everyone froze at these words, curiosity sparkling inside of them.

"Well…?" Jay asked.

"... Your new training gear arrives tomorrow," Sensei said with a tiny smirk that was hidden behind his beard. Cole could hear it in his voice clearly though, and he couldn't help but laugh.

Everyone was laughing.

"It was almost a perfect score," Kai mumbled, taking a bite of his food. "Five out of six."

"Out of seven, you mean," Zane corrected. "You never know what Lloyd might be up to."

"I can't believe you're joking about that of all things?" Nya laughed. "Let him live his childhood, he doesn't have to bother with that stuff right now."

"Perhaps not," Sensei agreed, finishing up. "Do clean up when you are done," he said, placing his own plate in the sink and leaving for his room.

Cole knew Sensei was a closed man, but there was no denying his sorrow for his nephew. Who knew what Pythor was up to, after all?

"We are going to get him back," Cole broke the silence, earning nods from around the table.

"We are," Kai said. "And once we do, we're going to come out again- Ouch!"

Nya chuckled, kissing Kai's cheek as an apology for hitting him. "You're so dumb, Kai."

Cole couldn't believe he had such a loving family.

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**Kudos to whoever can guess what the inspiration for the title was :3**


End file.
